Mine for the taking
by xLucid
Summary: Eren always had problems with staying out of trouble. When he royaly fucks up, through unfortunate situations he's stuck living a servant life at the Household of a snobbish lord. Over time he will find out that everything in the mansion is not what it seems, and might even come to like it there? But there is still something about the stoic young Lord. Set around 1850 London.
1. Running into trouble

**A.N. – Heyo nice of you to drop by c; I just wanted to say that this story takes place around 1850/1900 so some things might seem weird or out to place but please bear with me D: its just to make it as realistic as I possibly can. **

**I don't own SnK or the characters or anything D: sadly enough.  
Please enjoy~**

He was running down the muddy streets, his legs were burning. It had been a while since he had to run for his life. There had to be a way out. But first, he'd have to get off the main road, it was too difficult for him to get around here, and he felt more at home in the backstreets of London.

"Hey, brat, get outta the way!" He managed to jump to the side of the road just in time before a two-horse carriage came charging by. Well, THAT was one reason why he wanted to get out of here.

"Hey, there he is, get him and don't let him get away!". And there was reason number two. A group of three large men came charging towards him. Two were obviously cops, recognizable by the hideous uniforms. The last man he recognised to be the rich mainroad store owner of whom he just snatched several pocket watches.

He really needed to get away from here. If he got caught, a terrible fate would obviously await him. There was no compassion for thieves and scum like him. Of course he was aware that his lifestyle wasn't what you'd call "legal", but it was their only possible way of surviving, it had always been. Not even just for them. Everyone in his street, neighbourhood really, came from an anything but noble origin in which low standard dealings and stealing were their only way to survive. If you add the fact the government couldn't care less about their fate and stopped investing in the slums, and the nobles had all actual power in this corrupt as fuck country, there was no way to persist in these conditions.

"Damn damn DAMN!" he cursed, he had no time to worry about those stuck up nobles. He still had those guys on his tail and didn't know how he could possibly shake them off. He would be reaching the end of the main road soon and had to come up with a plan.

He couldn't just run home. That would bring his whole family in danger. They would find out where he lived, where his family and dear ones were. They would keep watch of their place for the next couple of weeks. They wouldn't be able to properly do their business and because of lack of income, eventually come close to starving. Or WORSE. They would all be claimed thieves, all arrested, all his loved ones, his family through blood or not. He couldn't make them suffer his fate. The higher ups did not look fondly on thievery. Those who could take their precious riches away. They would be cruel.

No he had to find another way.

His bare feet were pounding on the muddy roads that couldn't be called a pavement. The last couple of years the situation of his hometown had deteriorated fast. Many were starving on the streets, children died young due to the prominent lack of care. Everyone tried to save themselves and their loved ones, every day was a struggle.

A quick and sudden turn to the right, ducking into an alleyway, was his first attempt of escaping. The men tracking him down were middle aged or older, and could by no means keep up with his young, albeit thin, physique.

At the end of the alley he took another right, desperately looking around.

Yes, he had grown up here, he was completely in his element, but being chased made it difficult to think fast and come up with a solution that would bring the least harm to his family. He decided to run straight for the small chapel, at the end of the street. This was there where he used to play as a kid. He knew every nook and cranny. If he could just throw them off his trail for a few seconds and slip inside… he'd be safe.

Looking down the street, he noticed there was quite some distance between him and his destination. He also noticed his way out.

Two chariots were charging in his direction, each from the opposite ends of the street. It appeared they'd be passing each other only a few feet away from where he was standing. If he could just get in between the two, he'd be able to tag along with the quickly accelerating cart, bringing him closer to his final destination.

Deciding this was the best plan of action, he got to work. Crossing the street till he was halfway, checking both ways carefully, assessing the time and distance left until his feet would be torn of the ground and towards the chapel.

He ignored the urgent shouts from bypassers and the chariot drivers, warning to get the fuck out of the way or be run over. Dancing back and forward on the tips of his toes, he got ready to leap.

He almost missed his time, when the chariot and his pursuer were neck and neck to reaching him. He reached out his hand and grabbed on in the last minute, feeling the harsh pull as his body was ruthfully pulled off the ground.

He regained his footing on the steps on the right side of the moving projectile, taking some pressure off of his body. As he looked back, he could see the officers staring after him, deep frowns on their ugly faces.

When the horses were sent slightly to the right, he decided to move past the back of the chariot to its left side, expecting it to take a turn to the right and fearing he would not get off on time.

As he expected, the whole coach veered to the right full force as soon as they reached the end of the main road.

When they passed the cornered, just outside of view of his pursuers he leaped off, rolling through the dirt, quickly scrambling to his feet to get the hell out of there. The chapel was only a few doors down.

Having been there many more times before, he knew of the secret door on the right of the small, deteriorated building, and snuck inside once he had reached it.

It would be safest to wait out here for some time, before trying his luck on the streets again.

The inside of the chapel was a sad sight. It hadn't been used for years, and the rows of benches still left intact, were few. The serenity that was still present in this small building however, was overwhelming yet oppressing.

He slowly moved in between the aisles left and right, sight set on the front row seat he used to claim when he was younger every sunday morning. This small place was all they had back then, all anyone had back then.

When he finally claimed the seat that used to be his, he felt a sense of serenity come down on him. He had returned home after a long while.

He could imagine it, the room still in its original state, benches standing neatly in a row, one after the other. Preachers in the front, reassuring the people begging the Lord for help. The room filled with his family, his friends, all looking for a safe haven. Something to get them far, far away from this misery.

He himself had never really believed in all this talk of God. How could a lord so almighty let his good and innocent civilians starve, die? No, he strongly believed in taking matters into his own hands.

It was this belief that had driven him to act today. It was that believe which had gotten him in all this trouble. He feared the possible consequences if he were to be caught. Of course he would, only a fool wouldn't, with a possible execution knocking on the door if he were ever to be caught.

Hopefully, it would all be worth it in the end.

These neighbourhoods have been going downhill very quickly. He lived with his mother, sister and best friend, in a little shack in the far reaches of these slums. They lived from selling their plunder on the cities black market. Their expensive items, silk, pocketwatches, or plainly wallets and silver. But from fear of illnesses few nobles and richmen had dared come downwards to these areas. Their profit had been minimal to nothing and he had heard the stomachs of his loved ones rumble. He felt responsible for them. So he went out and did what he had to do.

If it wasn't for that nosey lady, pointing out his actions to the owner, he would have gotten away with it. Well, in the end he still did.

He could imagine the smile on his mother's face when he got home, asking him if he'd had been able to snatch anything today. He'd show here the watches, oh how she'd react.

She'd probably whack him over the head with today's paper, and tell him how foolish he had been. That it was madness to steal from a prestigious store, just to make sure they would be okay. Tell him that they would be able to handle themselves. Then she'd pull him in close and hug him to her chest, like she had almost lost her son. Stroking his hair lovingly, and whispering sweet words to him, telling him they'd be alright and he didn't have to go that far. They'd manage.

He knew it wasn't true though. She was falling ill. He could see it in her eyes, which used to sparkle with life. They had clearly dimmed over the years, and lately they seemed as dull as the dirt covering the streets outside. Their living conditions were not only tormenting her physically, but she now seemed mentally affected as well. Carla was a hard working woman but there was only so much she could do.

And then there was Armin. He and his grandfather had been living together with them for years, for as long as he could remember anyways. Armin had always been an upbeat boy, ready to go out there and see the world. Until his grandfather died that is.

Armin had been out too late, and the drunken bastards who, sadly enough, also lived in these parts came out to play. They had seen Armin and thought it a fun game to play around with him. Luckily his grandfather had seen him on time, and came to the rescue. Armin got away on time, thanks to his grandfather, who himself had not been so lucky. In their drunken stupor the men had beaten the old man to an inch of his life, and had left him bleeding to his death in the early morning sun where they had found him. Ever since, Armin had had difficulty keeping up with life.

But the past few months Eren had found that the young blonde had found a new joy in his life. A new source to light the fire in his eyes again. He had even taken up reading again.

But despite the fact the boy was on his healing way, he was in no way capable of taking care of himself. He had always been small and anyone without a heart would be able to beat him mercilessly.

The only one who would possibly be able to fend for themselves would be Mikasa. His mother had taken her in when she was still fairly young. She had a traumatic past, having to watch her parents be murdered by a bunch of thieves, and had never really gotten over it. Of course the murderers, only petty thieves, had been prosecuted and hanged, but that in no way brought her parents back or saved her the pain.

His family and her's had been close for as long as he could remember, and had helped each other out on several occasions. His mother had been in a better condition back then and there had not even been a doubt in her mind that they would take Mikasa in. She wouldn't have it any other way, Mikasa was a part of the family and she would not let her rot out on the streets by herself.

Ever since she moved in with them she had been training hard to be able to fend for herself, to be able to protect herself, and the ones she loved.

In a fair fight, he was sure, she'd be able to take down anyone. Sadly enough they did not live in an era or an area where people were particularly fond of 'fair'. We all wanted to live a prestigious life, and we all wanted to have riches. Sadly enough, most of us couldn't, so everyone just took what they wanted and used any means to get it.

Mikasa, a pretty young girl, with fair white skin and raven black hair, in the prime of her life, was not a person you should let loose on the dirty streets at night to do some dirty job for minimum income. The risk at her life would be humongous, and the additional damage to her already fragile mind would be tremendous.

No, he was the only one who would be able to take care of them. And that's why he had to take the risk.

He had been sitting there for a while now, reminiscing the past. It was time to go back out there again, and test his luck.

This time using the main front entrance he left the building, after first peeking outside and assuring the bothersome men were not awaiting him right outside.

When he assumed the coast was clear, he ran out, sloppily throwing the door closed behind and sprinting off. Only when he rejoined the moving traffic on the streets did he feel safe again.

There was a little skip to his step, knowing he had taken a big risk and had still gotten away with it. His family would be fine for now.

He started running further down the street, joy radiating from every fiber of his being. He felt victorious.

He started a slow run, which turned into a sprint, darting towards his home. All of a sudden he started laughing which, soon turned into hysteric cackling, while twirling around several times. He didn't care about the weird looks he got, or the judgmental stares of people who thought he had gone insane.

All he cared about was his family and that they would now be saf- SMACK

A surprised squeak escaped him as a hard object slammed into his shins and landed him face first into the dirt covered road.

As he looked back up, his face fell. Standing there, looking all high and mighty, were two men. They were both sporting high class suits, one tall and blonde and the second shorter, black hair and an annoyed expression seemed to be permanently stuck on his face. Three words came to mind. High class… and.. trouble.

The eerily smiling blond was the reason he had fallen in the first place. He was twirling around a hard wooden cane, which he had apparently ruthfully slammed into his legs, just below his kneecaps. The man didn't seem to be looking at him though, rather at something behind him.

He saw two cops clad in uniform quickly walking towards him. Apparently the word had been spread and coppers all around the city were aware of his situation.

He tried to scramble up and get away in time. But when he was up on his feet he was once again met with an obstacle.

The two men were still standing there, and the blonde didn't seem very fond of letting him go that easily. The short guy merely seemed bored.

He guessed that was his best shot. Glances were exchanged between the three of them, and his two opponents were trying to anticipate his next actions.

He charged at the smaller, and seemingly weaker of the two. The next thing he knew he was on his back on the road again.

It had all gone by in a daze. One moment he had his hand on the ravenhaired's shoulder, and the next thing he felt was a tough grip on his wrist and his weight being thrown into the air to ungracefully land on the ground.

A loud groan left his lips as all air was ruthlessly forced out of his lungs.

As he was temporarily disabled the two coppers charged towards them and grabbed his arms. With a strong grip on either limb, he was hoisted of the ground and now caught up in his biggest fear. He would certainly not get away with this, and his family would still be in trouble. The fact that he just attacked a noble didn't help his case in the least.

The men in uniform turned to the men in suits: "Thank you for assisting us in the capture of this criminal." The demeaning words were accompanied by some harsh jabs to the ribs.

They started patting him down, in search of the stolen goods. His jacket pockets were searched and they would soon find the watches in his left back pocket.

A triumphant: "AHA!" could be heard from one of the officers, as he pulled the three watches from his pocket. They were still in perfect shape, and wrapped in a small patch of linen to prevent damage.

"You're coming with us, filth" the words almost hurt as much as the punch to the gut that followed.

Almost.

He tried doubling over because of the pain, but the strong hold on him kept him upright. He lost his footing and was now completely dependent on the two men who he desperately wanted to get away from.

He struggled, kicked and tried to hit them. He spat one man in the face, and tried to bite the other.

It was all in vain though. They were taller and had a stronger build than him. On top of that, he hadn't had a good meal in almost two days now. After running away from them for a good half of the day, he had no energy left to burn.

"We will take him off your hands now, gentlemen." They meant to escort him away by foot. He would still have a chance there. If he could just find the right opportunity.

He just had to stay calm and seem defeated. And once they'd be far away from these two… rather strong nobles, he'd run. Run like his life depended on it. Which it probably did.

"Oh don't worry. I'll accompany you to the office. I have some business there either way. Why not join me on my ride," the blond said to the officers, a cheerful smile displayed on his face.

No… NO NO NO! This could NOT be happening to him right now. He NEEDED to get away. His family.. Mikasa… Armin.. MOM… they were depending on him. He had to get away.

"Let me GO!" he struggled, he did everything he could, but they would not relent their grip on him.

They trusted the blond entirely, his high status made sure of that, and accepted the invitation to ride with him.

The boy slumped his entire body dejectedly, as his last effort to obstruct his captors. But all hope seemed lost.

Their host seemed eager to escort them, but before accompanying them into his chariot he turned to his almost forgotten companion who was about to enter, what could be assumed, his own ride home.

The taller man grabbed the underarm of the shorter and said: "I expect you will be at the gathering that will be held in three days time? We can't have you losing face, now can we?" He seemed all smiles and kindness, but there was tension in the air. There was definitely a clash of powers going on there, and the shorter of the two didn't seem amused by the threat. He roughly pulled his arm out off the grasp the blond had it in.

"I will show up whenever I deem your.." there was a slight hesitation before he spoke the next words "audience... worthy of my presence. And only then." He spoke with confidence, something the young boy now in the clutches of authority could only wish for.

The continuation of the conversation was lost to him as he was roughly shoved into the cart. He got another kick in, before the officer grabbed him by the back of his neck and shoved into the nicely cushioned seat. Only a few seconds later were they joined by mister nice-guy again.

He was now stuck between the two cops, but he didn't fear them in the slightest. No, the only one who got chills to run down his back was the man sitting in front of him, with a menacing look radiating off of every fiber that made up his being. He never knew a smile could feel that threatening.

They said there for a short while, on the way to the police office where his judgement would follow, in relative silence. Only the two officers would engage in idle chitchat, completely oblivious to the tension present in their chariot. All he could do was stare at the man nonchalantly sitting there, like he wasn't transporting a criminal, and nothing was going on. All he ended up doing was glaring daggers at the blonde opposite him. There was nothing else left for him to do.

The blonde in turn was looking at him every so often, slow glances after which he would chuckle or occasionally smirk.

It wasn't long until the horses´ hooves stopped pounding on the badly paved roads, which inquired their arrival.

From that moment onwards it all went by in a blur. He got kicked in the shin as a signal to get up. They had bound his hands on the trip there, to make sure escaping would become difficult, and were now prodding his side and back with their sticks to make him walk in front of them.

He shook his body, as to get rid of the annoying motions they were making towards him. He was glad they weren't holding on to him.

When they entered the building, the officers inside looked at him with disgust. He felt bare in the room, out of his element, and insecure. He knew his fate was now in their hands, and he was almost certain those hands would not be kind on him.

They never had been, so why would they be now?

They moved to the back of the room, past several work desks and even past some cell doors. He was scared now. Scared of what would happen to him.

They reached a dark wooden door at the end of the room, which was opened and he was roughly shoved inside. It was dark, and an officer, not sure if it was one of the men guiding him here before or someone else entirely, guided him towards a chair standing in the middle of the room. He looked around the room, as he was forced to sit down. There was only one door, the one through which he had just entered, and there were no other exits or means of escape. His situation turned desperate and he feared there would be no way out, except for the gallows.

As everyone left the room or never even entered in the first place, there was one man left standing in the shadows. He should have expected the blonde to step out of the shade and advance towards him. The expressionless facade on the man's face made him scowl.

It was clear the man had a lot of power, not just in the political circuits but also the economic and possibly even the military fields, considering how sharp he was dressed and how well he was build.

The man neared him once again, and there was no way to run or to avoid this man´s touch, as the rich bastard let his his right hand slide over his strong jaw.

He felt disgusted by the touch. Who was this man to defile his body like that. He might not be rich or powerful, but he had always taken pride in the control and ownership of his own body. They could take away all his property, but at least they couldn't take control over him.

Well.. atleast… untill now. And he hated the feeling.

"A nice build…clear features and contours… one MAGNIFICENT set of eyes… tall..oh and he sure is tanned… could use some more muscle mass though.." he was unsure what this was all about, as the suited man started feeling him all over and in a way… assessing him.

"Oh, I'm sorry.. am I making you uncomfortable?" the blonde asked, literally looking down on him. He refused to reply, refused to give in, as his examination continued.

Damn sure you are! You creep, into little boys now are you. He couldn't help smirk at the idea of the other nobles finding out about the blonde's rather… peculiar taste in past time activities.

His captor didn't pay a second's notice to his odd behavior though, and continued on his merry way with whatever he was doing.

The blonde squatted in front of him and gripped his thighs, giving them a good squeeze and rubbing them up and down. Next moving on to his shirt, which was pulled up and a cold hand was now positioned on his flat stomach.

It all felt really uncomfortable.. being assessed by this man, having these hands all over his body, without being able to do anything about it.

"You better get used to it. The sooner you do, the easier it will be for you." his examinator said.

As the man continued to stand up and move away, he couldn't help and get a little revenge. He took a breath and spat full force in the man's face.

Said man cringed as the dirty substance came in contact with his face and started to wipe it away while moving towards the door.

"You better not show this attitude in a few days. I'm pretty sure the others will not be appreciative and accepting of it as I am" he said with a smirk, and his hand resting on the door handle.

He opened it and two men were called inside. One seemed to be a normal officer, there to secure their safety. The other man seemed to have a high status, a chief of some sorts. His uniform was riddled with badges and banners, declaring his rank and status.

"I think I'll take him off your hands" the blonde declared, apparently rather sure of his case and no doubt in his mind that he would get what he wanted.

"Its always a pleasure doing business with you Mister Erwin," the chief said, his tone slimey as if sucking up to the ones in charge was his only chance of staying in his current position. It probably was. "The protocol is the same as always I assume?"

"You have assumed right, my friend" Mister Erwin answered, "but I almost forgot to ask the most important question of all, related to my merchandise."

He walked back to the chair standing in the middle of the room and looked down on the boy sitting in it. He made eye contact with the boy, and held on to the contact while asking his carefully formulated question in a slow and enticing voice.

"For my merch its of utmost discretion that they are in perfect condition, which means brand new. Now tell… are you still a virgin?"

He couldn't possibly answer the question. He couldn't even look up. He was dying of shame, at the prospects of what was to come and how he was seen in this man's eyes. As a mere object, a property.

He hated it. He felt so frustrated and ashamed. Frustrated that he couldn't do anything to save himself. That he was this weak. And ashamed because he truly felt like a useless piece of shit right now. Just like how these men saw him.

His head was suddenly yanked up by his hair. "You will answer when I ask you something. Are. You. a Virgin?"

Tears started forming in the corners of his eyes as he tried to look away again. This was made impossible by the tight grip on tuft of his hair. He refused to answer. He refused to give this man the satisfaction to hear his voice break in shame and pain. To hear the tremble and even crack in his voice as he desperately tried to answer. No, he would not give this man what he wanted.

"Well considering your reaction.. I'll assume the answer is 'yes'. We'll deal with that attitude of yours another time."

A hand was slapped into the side of his head, and everything turned dizzy and disorientated.

As the blond released the hold on his hair, he let his head fall back down. Both Erwin and the chief shuffled around the room, something was written down and hands were shaken.

He could hear the blonde, at least he assumed it was the blonde who was currently the only one extracting pleasure from such dealings, chuckle and clasp hands with one of the police officers.

A sinister sneer of: "Oh, he'll do JUST fine" could be heard escaping the man's lips, and chills ran up his spine.

The nicely suited man moved back over to where he was still sitting in his dirty clothes, hands still bound. His hair was pulled again and he was forced to look up to his tormentor once more.

The question asked next made every last sense of safety fall away. "What's your name, boy?" the last word was spat in his face with such menace he shrank away from it.

He felt bare and open to be wounded as he defiantly looked up into those empty blue eyes.

It took him effort to spit out the word, but once he did, it came out full force. Blue's met strong willed green as one word resonated throughout the room. "Eren."


	2. Getting Out

He was so done with this shit. He had been sized up and poked with pins all morning After he had the encounter in the city down town about two days ago, his finest suit had been dirtied by filthy hands of pisspoor young boys. He had the urge to throw it out, and get a new one tailored. He hated the process, and decided to just get a fucking new wardrobe than having himself probed and stabbed again in another month or so.

He was now finally out of the house, well..more like a mansion, and on his way.

He wasn't really looking forward to today's activities. Erwin held a power over him since he currently had a higher status, as one of the most influential Lords of London. Levi had to uphold his image and decided to attend today's gathering to get some of the most influential people in the country off his back for the next couple of months. As a Lord in this system, you had to at least appear strong and untouchable, or the others would run you over without a second thought. Through scams, scandals and intriges you could lose everything you had within a month. So Levi went to the meetings, in order not to lose anything.

Before he headed over though, he had to make a stop in town.

He entered his personal black chariot and ordered the driver to take him to the Zacharius manor.  
It would take a while before they'd arrive though, since his property was a far distance from the city's centre. He loved his mansion, and the wide patch of land surrounding it. It was peaceful and his safe haven away from pressure and all seeing eyes. The three story building was big enough to inhabit all his staff, and was capable of housing decent size parties or formal events. Leading up to house was a beautiful steps, crafted out of clear marble, which he had passed many times in his still short life.  
The chariot moved along his stretch of land, his gorgeous lawn which was one hell of a job keeping in nice shape. Luckily he had great personnel to do that, he admitted to himself as the horses were still moving along the nice path throughout his front lawn, cause this was one hell of a job. As they moved past the humongous marble fountain close to the front gates, Levi realized he was truly lucky to live here.

It WAS however goddamn far from the city's centre where general business was going down.

It was a hell of a work for his servants to travel twenty minutes and back to get what he was in need of, but they did so without complaints. Of course that was their job, but he still appreciated it. There were some things he preferred to do himself though, such as the task he was undertaking right now.

As he was leaning back in the soft cushions of the chariot bench, he set his elbow in the window sill and rested his head in his hand. He couldn't repress the sigh coming up. He really didn't want to attend the gathering.

Erwin was known for having his hands in some shady business and Levi, under no circumstance, wanted to be part of that. It's not like no one knew his business was… well.. anything but legal, but there was no way to stop him. He had connections everywhere. Even if the government decided they needed to stop being pansies and actually DO something for their country, they had no power over him. HELL, the man basically WAS the government.

He was swayed from his thoughts when the carriage stopped with a rough jerk. He had arrived.

Wasting no time, he threw open the door, almost hitting the driver in the face when he came over to open the door for him.

He didn't know why the man still tried. Levi hadn't let him open the door for him since he turned 15, he was a driver, not a slave.

Not sparing the man another glance, he stepped out of the carriage and into the street. When done dusting off his jacket, he knocked on the large, dark green door he ended up standing in front of.

He didn't have enough time to mentally prepare for what he KNEW would be coming next.

The door flung open with such force that he had to wonder how the hinges were still intact after suffering such a fate every day.

"LLEEVVVVIIIIIIIIIIIII" the woman yelled as she ran towards him. He was almost tackled to the ground by the sheer force of the woman's body colliding with his own.

They were in front of the three steps leading to the dark green door, and marble doorframe. The building was high and tall, made from red bricks and it had been there for quite a while considering the aged state of the eroded stones.

"Ugh yeah thanks Hanji, I almost feared I'd forget my own name. Can you please get off of me though?" he grumbled, as he waited for the woman to get herself together and move away to give him some space to breathe.

When she finally entangled herself from him and pulled her skirts straight, Levi was able to take a normal breath and regain a bit of his posture.

He never really knew how to handle the woman, with her never ending enthusiasm.

Although she wasn't currently strangling him any more, didn't mean she'd let him go that easily. She was now clutching his arm while dragging him inside, chatting the ears of his head about some new research she had been doing. He really couldn't care less, he had his own troubles to deal with right now.

The house was a weird, messy assembly of books thrown all over the place, covered by hundreds of little pots and bottles full of unknown, and possibly dangerous, substances. Now, take that combination and place it on every horizontal surface found in the building, and you'd have the Zacharius household.

Hanji dragged him to the living room couch, picking up some of the books and paper and unceremoniously dumping it on the living room table. She pushed Levi in the, now clean, spot to sit and start their leisure conversation.

"Well well well, what brings you here at this time of day Levi?" she asked, while scurrying over to the kitchen and looking through the cabinets in search of clean cups so she could offer the Lord some tea. "Aren't you supposed to be in your big, dark mansion, shying away from any sunlight that threatens to touch your features? I'm honored by your visit," she joked. "Tea?"

"Yes please, and no I wish I could," he answered her, gaze downcast. "Erwin wants me to partake in another one of...sessions. The man just.. INFURIATES me so much sometimes. He KNOWS I don't want to partake in his shady business." Levi ended up snarling. Just the thought of the activity he'd have to partake in this evening made his blood boil.

"You don't HAVE to go," Hanji tried to offer, but before she had the entire out and well, Levi rejected the idea.

"You know I do. All the higher-ups will be there. I have no chance of surviving in the circuits of this country if I don't show up every once in a while. It's not just about what I like and dislike anymore. People's lives depend on me, I have people to provide for." He wasn't one to give up this quickly, but he just didn't see a way out right now. He'd just have to suck it up for a few hours and be done with it.

"But, never mind that, that's not what I'm here for," he shrugged. He first needed to get his business here over with. He really just wanted to get this whole fucking day out of the way.

"You're here cause you miss me, right Levi? You couldn't stay away from this marvellous enigma that is me and wished you could forever be in my intriguing presence while doing chores for me? Right Levi?" She looked at him with sparkling eyes, hope plastered all over her face, even more accentuated by her round glasses which were catching the light. In her enthusiasm, she was now hanging over the sofa arm, trying to get to his side. She would have, if not for the skirts getting in her way. At least she was smart enough to put the tea down on the side table first.

He couldn't help it. He snorted. He actually snorted at that. "What the hell is wrong with you, shitty glasses?"

"Yes yes yes. That's a laugh. A snort counts as a laugh," she exclaimed victoriously. "This is only the second one I've heard this month. But anyway, yeah I'm lonely. Mike has been gone the entire week to gather new supplies for my next experiment. I'm just so boooored." She drew out the last word, to emphasize her boredom.

He felt slightly sorry for her though. Without Mike around, there wasn't much for her to do. Inside the household there might be completely equality, and maybe some domination from Hanji's side, but outside these doors there was a very unfair world. Without the help of her husband she wouldn't be able to get much done. Which was probably also the reason for Mike went to go get her supplies, instead of Hanji doing it herself. 

They were perfect for each other though. Together they owned the most well-running doctor's office in town. Of course all credit had to go to Mike, but Hanji didn't mind. Not as long as she could keep doing her research. She was quite the genius, Levi had to give her that.

He got pulled out of his thoughts by a soft cough. "Uhm, so what does bring you here then? I hope nothing too severe?"

He scoffed: "Well, I sure hope not. Petra's condition has gone bad again. I just wanted you to come over and check up on her as soon as possible." He looked down dejectedly. Petra had been taking care of him for as long as he could think off, since his mother died at childbirth. She was now nearing the age of 47 and her back and bone problems became worse and worse throughout the years. Sometimes they even prevented her from moving about properly or moving at all.

"I'll hop on by today then. I don't have much to do here any way. I haven't seen her in a long while either." Hanji knew that her situation wouldn't be improving any time soon, but there could always be something to at least relieve her pain.

"Thanks Hanji," he sighed, "I really appreciate it. And I think she'll be happy to see you again." He slowly stood up, setting down his still almost completely full cup of tea back on the wooden side table. "I fear I have to get going though. Those jackasses frown upon tardiness. They truly wish to get to the 'good' part of the schedule as soon as possible."

"It's going to be fine Levi, don't be such a sissypants. And don't worry about the visit. It's no effort at all. And you'll be seeing the bill on your mat sometimes soon any way. My wallet has no complaints," she smirked as she moved to stand up herself. She was trying to cheer him up and maybe even cheer him on. He really appreciated her effort. But he really had to get going now and just… get it over with.

They both moved over to the hallway, Hanji still smiling at him, one more time promising to come by the manor later that day, whether he was there or not.

"Too bad you didn't stop by for a little longer, Levi. You have to promise me that next time you'll stay for dinner." She was practically begging him now with a high-pitched voice as she was clinging to his arm. When all she got was a disgruntled grunt, she started cackling. "I'll just take that as a yes. I'll be looking forward to your next visit then."

The front door to the Zacharius household was opened once again, this time presenting the always busy streets of downtown London. His carriage was still standing in the street, right in front of the house, faithfully awaiting his return so they could bring him to the next location.

"I'll see you around, shitty glasses," was all the goodbye he needed to offer her. He stalked off to his chariot, not caring to look around or show her any sense of gratitude. He had already made clear to her how much he appreciated her effort. No need to repeat himself.

The last comment made him whip his head around though, before scowling, fully entering the carriage and slamming the door shut behind him.

"No problem at all, my little grump."

And on their way they went. The horses got the sign and started stepping forwards. With every movement he got closer to his next destination. He knew it was only a few streets away.

It was so weird that such a vulgar meeting could take place in the middle of a city centre, and no one knew. Well, no one except for the invited guests that was.

Another jerk from the carriage alarmed him he had reached his next destination. He really wasn't looking forward to this shitty venue. But it would be good for him to show his face now and then. To make sure people wouldn't start assuming he'd died or something outrageous like that. He had to uphold his status. And most of all, appease Erwin's whims. The man had too much power.

Once again throwing open the chariot door, he descended from the cart and didn't spare it another glance as he moved towards the unsightly building.

Within the lobby there were many nicely suited men set in a limited space. Most of them were animatedly chatting with friends or work related partners. If you were to stumble upon this introductory chat before the real activity of the evening would start, you could even assume that it was just a casual meeting of the higher-ups. But he knew better. He was fucking disgusted by each and everyone attending this pastime. He couldn't give a flying fuck about their reason for attending, and he knew that he was actually just as bad as they were. Well, at least he wasn't deriving pleasure from seeing people you deem below yourself in their darkest moments.

The doors to the basement were open now. Of course it had to fucking take place in a basement. Like this whole thing wasn't shady enough already. People started to slowly saunter into the direction of the stairs descending into the next room.

Levi was too tense to take this slow pace. He quickly made his way through the crowd and in the corridor leading down to the basement..

Sadly enough he had been here before, and knew what to expect when he reached the bottom of the stairs. Still he dreaded taking every step and it weighed down on him.

He just had to fucking man-up and get it over with. Its not like he'd have to participate. He just had to be present, maybe socialize a little, and turn away from every action taking place.

When he reached the end of the stairs, he put up a stoic expression. He had a name to keep up, and he could not let the other lords see him as weak.

Entering the room there were several round tables spread around the room, and next to those long benches with matching tables. In the front of the room there was a wooden stage with several big lamps hanging over it and a big metal pole in the middle. The separate tables were mainly lit by candles.

Some of the tables were already occupied, by young and old gentlemen in nicely tailored suits. Upon making eye contact they nodded their heads in recognition, but no further contact or conversation was instigated.

Levi moved to one of the tables in the back, sitting himself down on a long bench that went all the way along the back wall. He tried to blend in as much as he could, to not draw attention to himself so he could sit out the evening without much trouble.

Slowly, people started filing into the room, taking seats, sitting together and chatting about the evenings entertainment. The crowd was consisted mainly of men, but there were some ladies here and there.

When he thought almost everyone was seated and they were ready to start, an unpleasant surprise awaited him.

"I see you did deem our audience worthy of your presence today, Sir Levi?" His face turned into a scowl when hearing that mocking tone.

"Well, Erwin," he tried to sound as demeaning as he could without being overly rude, "Some of us deem it polite to come when invited to a… well, what would you call this… a venue of such? You wanted me here, so here I am."

Erwin chuckled. "Its good to know that we can expect you at some of the..other activities and events I organize."

All he could do was grumble something akin to a response.  
It was really fucking frustrating. The damn man KNEW he had power over him, and that alone was enough to set his blood boiling. But no, he to conceal it, he shouldn't feel it, he couldn't let him know.

"Well if you'll excuse me, I think I have to go run a show here," was all he got before Erwin excused himself and made his way over to the stage.

Levi's eyes followed him up the stage. When he hopped up the several steps to get up on the stage, the lights throughout the rest of the room dimmed, so only the big lamps lighting up the podium were shining bright and the small candles on every table were the only other source of light in the room.

As he finally got on the stage and let out a rather loud cough, all eyes turned towards him and he had all the attention.

"Dear guests, we all know why we're here on this fine day," he paused for a short moment and let several chuckles resonance through the wide space, "but before we get started, I'd like to first go over some rules."

"Due to limited goods, we would like to make sure that everyone has a fair share. Therefore it is only allowed to purchase one good here today. We would like to ask whoever got the highest bid and therefore the ownership, to move through this door to collect their winnings." He moved aside to show everyone the door in the right hand corner of the room. "This way the auction will be able to run fluently. We do have some exemplary goods for you folks tonight, so don't be too hasty to purchase the first best thing that comes up on this stage here." The last sentence was thrown out into the room with a happy ring to it, and a sparkle in his eyes, obviously amused by his leisure activities.

There was a gentle applause for Erwin's talk, and some murmuring around the room when the guests were excitedly discussing their possible catch for the night. All Levi did was lean back and wait for the show to start. The other lights on the stage dimmed and went out until there was only one lamp left burning brightly in the middle of the stage.

"Well then, lets get this show on the road. The first one up, is young, sixteen years old, and male." As he said this, two men entered the stage through the backdoor bringing a young man with them, hands cuffed behind his back. He was scarcely clothed, only wearing shorts, as he was dragged over to the metal pole standing centre stage.

Once his hands were chained to the stage, and the men removed themselves from the spotlight, Erwin continued his presentation.  
"As you can see this specimen is well fed and in a good state, nicely toned." As he said this he let the black riding crop, which he apparently kept backstage, slide down the torso of the young boy. He seemed frightened as the leather travelled down his chest, and looked into the room with big, scared eyes. He looked like a wild animal which had just been cornered.

"He goes by the name of Jean, and likes to be worn out. Sadly, that also mean his backside has been around the block a couple of times, but the quality is still up to par with any other we have to offer here, except there is no first time to take away. Taking this into consideration and combining this with the state he's currently in, compared to the other offers of today, we begin with a starting offer of twelve hundred pounds."

As the first bid was thrown into the room the boy tensed, his eyes blown wide and seemingly searching the faces of the people present.

Levi tuned out for the bidding, he didn't even notice the people around him stand up and throw their offer towards the stage. All he noticed was the scared boy in the front, fidgeting with his restrains moving back and forth, staring at the audience, at Erwin. He was constantly tensed and rightfully so.  
You could never know who ended up owning you. Because that's what it was. Your entire life, your fate, was in the hands of someone else. Someone you do not know, whose intentions you do not know, and half of the time can't be sure have any sense of good will towards you.

The boy had every right to be frightened. He'd be stupid not to be.

While offers were made throughout the room, Levi took his time to clearly study the boys features. Erwin had been right, normally boys plucked off of the streets were starving or close to it, but this Jean seemed well nourished. His muscles were well extinguished and he had a nothing close to the bony features most citizens out there did posses. He was definitely worth some money.

As a little dispute appeared among some bidders, which Erwin tried to clear up, a young man stood up, raised his hands and said: "Can we all calm down a little, please, gentlemen. I offer 4.500 pounds for this young man."

Everything soon calmed down after that bid. It was at least 700 pounds above the price the other participants were fighting over.

As soon as the young man had spoken, all tension seemed to leave Jean. His muscles relaxing and the fright in his eyes slowly fading. All because we was looking at the young man at the other side of the room.

And that was all you could call him. He was hardly a man, closer to a boy really. He wore a sophisticated black suit and tie much like all the other men, yes, but his chubby face and freckles and the emotions clear in his bright blue eyes radiated sheer childlike joy. Well, eye. The right side of his face was covered by a large black eye patch. The skin around it was covered in some nasty red scarring tissue. Levi didn't even want to know what the kid had gone through to acquire those.

The Jean kid however, seemed to know and trust the young master, because as soon as he came into view and his voice echoed through the room he seemed relaxed and actually rather happy and elated.

"Well then, is there someone who wants to outbid the offer of four and a half thousand pounds for this boy?" Erwin questioned the other participants in the room.

When the other occupants stayed completely silent, the decision was made. "Well then, he's SOLD, to young Master Bott. Unchain him." He motioned for the guards to come back and get the boy away from the pole until he was once again standing on his quivering legs. The Young Master moved forward, towards the stage, still remembering the instructions given at the beginning of the show. When he tried to climb up the steps of the stairs he stumbled, and the butler who was following closely behind him, had to steady him and help him up the stage. When standing in the bright light Levi could make out that he was missing his right leg, it being replaced by a nicely carved wooden prosthetic.

He didn't seem to care that all eyes were on him, and in turn on his handicap. With his posture straightened he limped up to his new property, motioning for the boy and his guards to move to that door and through so he could follow.

Once they were off the stage and the door closed behind them, all attention settled on Erwin once more.

Said man continued like he hadn't just sold a human life. It infuriated Levi in ways no one here would understand. They all deemed themselves the top of the imaginary wealth chain here, and everyone else was considered below them.

Levi didn't have much time to linger on the subject because Erwin was fast to move on.

Of course, he wanted to get this business out of the way so he could use the money earned to buy himself a nice new plaything.

Erwin's way of perceiving life was what disgusted him most of all.  
He knew that Erwin owned this business, and he also knew that Erwin liked to.. well, how to phrase this… pick out the best goods beforehand so he could keep the greatest for his own. His household mainly consisted of people plucked of the streets, and Levi also knew what he liked to do to them. Well, to say the least, Levi did not agree to his ways.

The doors opened again as Erwin introduced the second article to be auctioned.

This time a female was brought into the room, but unlike the previous boy, she put up a fight. She was put in heavy chains, around her arms and neck, which kept her in place as the guards brought her forward.

She was kicking, biting, attempting to free her hands so she could hit someone, cursing and screaming profanities.

The two men almost seemed to need assistance, handling the petite girl. Her jaw length hair, which seemed to be roughly cut off not too long ago, was falling in her face and standing to all sides as she struggled to get free.

"Such a feisty little kitten this one", Erwin said as he moved towards the girl. He knelt down to her eye level and trailed the side of her face with the back of his hand. He made sure to stay just out of reach so she couldn't lunge at him and actually get to him. She managed to wiggle her mouth away from the cloth binding it and did everything she possibly could to get the least bit of satisfaction in the dire situation she was in. She ended up spitting Erwin full on in the face.

Levi couldn't help but snigger at the sight. Erwin didn't even seem phased by her actions. He just got up and turned towards the audience. He spread his arms in a welcoming motion.

"Of course these shows don't always go off without a hitch. Problems like her occur all the time. Therefore we decided to call her Hitch. She," he motioned at the girl dubbed Hitch with his foot, "however, is brand new merchandise and will therefore start the bidding at a higher price."

The girl who had once more freed her mouth, decided it was her turn to speak now. She interrupted Erwin with a screeching scream which she followed with a string of profanities.

"You fucking CUNT, who the hell do you think you are! Playing God or something, bastard?! You have no right, NO FUCKING RIGHT, to just pluck people of the fucking streets and sell them as your play things!"

Her eyes were filled with rage, rightfully so, as she turned towards the onlookers.

"And YOU. You people think you're all that! You treat others like they're the dirt on your shoe, you BUY people for your own damn benefit. You're all insane," she started cackling, laughing maniacally as her eyes rolled back and she tugged on her restraints, looking up at the ceiling and screaming; "You're all insane, INSANE I TELL YOU! These bloody cunts here, playing lord over me, YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME!"

SLAM.

Erwin had decided he'd heard enough. He had moved closer to her and brutally slammed his boot in her face. She fell to the side hacking and coughing, seeking more air. Her nose was bleeding. It better not be broken, Levi thought to himself. Or Erwin would have ruined his own business, losing a nice sell.

He continued his show. It was left to be seen, if she was still wanted after the little show she put up. But of course Erwin always knew a way around it, a way to promote his sale.

"Personally I like them when they have a little bite. It gives you some time to really and truly break them, which is a nice pastime." Erwin chuckled. Oh he enjoyed this, alright. He had always taken in the tough types, hard to crack or fighting back. He liked to get himself a challenge. That's probably why he was so taken with Levi. Levi was a challenge.

Levi was pretty sure Hitch would be sold with ease, but by using this sales approach there was no way in hell she'd end up in a nice household. The intentions for buying this girl were now clear and out in the open. There was only one purpose for the likes of her.

Levi watched on as the bidding began once more. He paid no attention at all to the people offering up their, probably illegally gained, money for the girl. There were only two participants, and the bid went back and forth, slightly increasing each time.

But all Levi had eyes for was Hitch. Her anger never seemed to tone down, rather, it grew with every raise of an offer. The ferocious glare and growl she was releasing towards both possible buyers only egged them on.

And then her fate was sealed. One of the buyers had given up and the amount was sealed. The old bald man stood up and moved towards the stage. Levi watched on as he climbed up to collect his prize. They moved in the same direction Young Master Bott had disappeared in. Hitch growled at him, and pulled at her restraints when they were detached from the stage. She absolutely refused to stand up and obey her captors. She was a dead weight and had to be dragged towards the exit of the room. Baldies servants aided him in this task, since he was obviously "way too good to dirty his hands on such filth".

Levi was quite done with the whole auction by this point. He just wanted to go home, have his cooks prepare his favourite meal and relax by the fireplace while reading a good book.

He could not leave now though. He could not lose face like that in this situation, and more importantly Erwin would never let him live it down if he up and left right now.

So he stayed seated as the show continued, grumbling under his breath about "how horrid such acts were" and that he "didn't even want to be part of this".

Erwin, however, seemed to have a marvelous time. He was beaming while up on the stage, as he tried to entertain his guests.

"Well, I hope we're all enjoying ourselves. Our next piece is quite a special edition, fresh of the streets. He has only been in our care for no less than three days so far. On top of that he is brand new, and has a marvelous pair of eyes."

He stepped aside to show the door which opened again to bring in the third victim of this auction.

As Levi's eyes fell on the boy, time stood still.

It was the boy he met on his visit downtown. The thieving boy that got arrested. The boy that should have lost his hands or at most been hanged. That sly, cunning bastard Erwin.

Being hanged would have been a better fate for the boy than what was waiting for him here.

He was complacent as he was moved towards the centre of the stage and chained. Unlike the other two, there seemed to be no rage or fear present in the boy. There was just a constant frown on his face as he stared into the room with such passion in his eyes that Levi, for a moment, had difficulties breathing.

He didn't say anything, he didn't react when Erwin spoke or touched him. He just stared into the room.

"He is some rare goods indeed," Erwin continued. "It was by sheer luck we came upon him. He is pure and untouched, we made sure of that. He might be a little slim, we tried to feed him extra to get him in form, but his pretty face sure makes up for it. And look at those eyes," Erwin moved over and grabbed the boy by chin to make him look up at him, then showed the rest of the room, "aren't they pure emeralds? I've never seen such a color on one of my merch before."

He released the boys chin. Said boy just continued staring into the room, his gaze never wavering. He scanned the faces in front of him, seemingly assessing all the possible guests he could be going home with tonight. He didn't seem afraid.

"He's of a nice age, fifteen oncoming sixteen, which means he can last for a long time." He chuckled. Yeah, Erwin was enjoying this alright.

"We'll start off with an offer of seventeen hundred pounds, folks. That's a proper price for this nice lad." Erwin moved to the side, ready to take the offers the participants threw at him.

Levi didn't care. He didn't notice anything in the room but the boy, who he was now intensively glaring at.

He did not know how the boy could possibly be so unfortunate to run into him twice within the week.

The people in the room were eager to throw their bids at Erwin, who seemed just as eager to receive them. He had made a good decision by taking the boy.

As the amount got raised again and again, the deep green eyes shifted around the room. From face to face to face, until they halted on a familiar figure.

His eyes widened when they fell on Levi. He obviously recognized the short noble, and seemed phased as to why he was present at such an awful occasion.

Levi didn't really care what the boy thought of him, he didn't care for the surprise that showed on his face once he recognized Levi for who he was, he didn't care that the men and few women in the room were all throwing their money at Erwin for this particular boy. He didn't care at all because Levi's dark, grey orbs came in contact with deep green and before he realized it he was standing and a deep "Six Thousand" reverberated through the room.

A.N. well yeah, next chapter xD hope you enjoy.


End file.
